Francophile's club

This year's Croisements festival will be held from May to July. Highlights include the exhibition From Monet to Soulages: Paths of Modern Western Painting (1805-1975), the dance production Seeds, the theater play 2666 and the recital performances by French actress Isabelle Huppert. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A window into France, the annual Croisements ("crossing") festival has grown into one of the biggest foreign cultural events in China since its launch in 2006.

Every spring, music, dance, theater, movie, art and literature activities are held in some 30 cities across the country. The festival also boosts Sino-French relations. This year, the festival's 12th edition will be held from May 8 to July 9, featuring many more performances, exhibitions, film screenings and discussions as compared to last year.

The Croisements program attracted more than 4 million people last year, and some events were live-streamed as well, according to the French embassy in Beijing. This year's festival will highlight a lineup of performers and artists demonstrating the fine quality of French and European art.

Works dating to the 19th century as well as by contemporary artists will be on show at two exhibitions.